The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-04-30

In the afternoon, after the singing of
q hymn, Rev. M. D. Shutter, of Min
neapolis, read a paper on
"The Minister'S Literary Pursuits"
In the opening these words from the
"Annals ola Quiet Neighborhood" were
quoted II never could believe that
man who did not find God in other
places as we'll as the Bible, ever found
him there at all. And Ialways thought
that to find God in other books enabled
us to see clearly that he was more in
the Bible than in any other book, and
in all other books put together"
He thought what is called light lit
erature ought to be used very spar
ingly, if at all. We cannot afford to
read an inferior book, even for the pur-
pose of recreation. The object of study
ing general literature is precisely the
same for minister as for any one-to
make him better man. Whatever
makes him a better man will make him
better minister.
The prime quality of all true liter
allure is its universally. It is message
from man to men. We must baoish
from the territory of the word those
books that are addressed to certain oc-
equations and classes. Anything that
touches man as member of any pro-
fession or trade is not literature. Any
thing that touches him as a member of
the human race is literature.
The second element of true literature
is what De Quincy has called the ele-
ment of power. 1t must inspire and
exalt. There are better things than
statistics Or facts. We get from Milton,
and Shakespeare, and Dante, something
better. We receive inspiration, en-
largement and spiritual power. Read
the great men. Read the creative minds
rather than the ccpyists. Read authors
themselves rather than what somebody
else has written about them.
Morality is third element which is
involved in what has been said. The
beautiful and the good cannot be sue
cessfully divorced. Immoral characters
are legitimate in literature, but they
must be correctly drawn, and the writer
must not forget the element Of retribu-
ton. Victor Hugo, Charles Dickens
and George Eliot have not forgotten it.
The need for general reading Of liter
allure ON the part of the minister is in
the fact that the tendency Of any pro-
fession is to ruts and hobbies. Liter
allure does much for US when it teaches
us that man is a grander word than
minister.
Literature sharpens our apprehension
of truth; furnishes a test of truth.
The study of literary models will coun-
teract the evils of sameness of style,
or forms of expression, in the presen-
tation of themes year after year. Let
the minister eschew books of "skel-
etons" and sketches ''handy- help
ers," and collections of petty aaec-
dotes, and give his time to the masters
Of thought and style. An intermission
of five minutes was taken after the
close of Mr.. Shutters paper.
''The Advance of Prohibition"
was the subject of paper read by
Rev. E. FL. Chaplin, of Lincoln, Neb.
He observed that no doubt, we were
on the eve of great reform. The
time is coming when there will not be
an open saloon in the land. The topic
states fact; there is an advance. In
the opinion of the speaker the third
partyis becoming more powerful. Laws
are better enforced. Maine, Kansas
and Iowa, were quoted as examples of
this advance along the line. The past
few years have witnessed wonderful
advance in the Southern States. Reas-
ons for this advance were given:
l. The saloon is the greatest menace
to our institutions. The warfare is
against saloons, not against men. High
license can never be an adequate solu-
ton of the problem. One saloon brings
all the baneful influences of intemper-
ance.
2. The saloon is the enemy of the
public school. In Omaha, $3.50, 600 is
the tax for schools $l,000,0 900 is paid
for the saloon.
5. 1t is an enemy of the church. The
saloon is in the way of religious prog
ress. The church is timid in attacking
the saloon. To neglect the evil is to
fail in the greatest and gravest respon-
sibility. If the kingdom of God is to
come in, the saloon must be removed.
4. 1t is the enemy of the republic it
self. 1t furnishes cities with shame
fully corrupt government. No scheme
so wicked but it will devise to protect
or conserve itself. The saloon must be
eliminated or it will dominate every
thing. The future of the country de-
ponds upon abolishing the evil. The
speaker was proud to note that from
the days of DR.. Rush to the present,
our Universalist clergymen have been
earnestly for temperance.
An Interesting Discussion
followed Mr.. Chapin's paper. t. II.
Tabor remarked that we want to get